


Currying Favor

by awintersrose



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Humor, M/M, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Rivals and Contests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 17:44:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20679392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awintersrose/pseuds/awintersrose
Summary: When Lee brings over a gift from the Kazekage, a new challenge is born.





	Currying Favor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WrithingBeneathYou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrithingBeneathYou/gifts).

> A gift for WrithingBeneathYou. Hope your day is filled with smiles and magical MadaGai goodness, my dear <3
> 
> This story takes place in a timeline loosely supporting WBY's 'Ward of Konoha' series. Go read it.
> 
> Special thanks to shipcat for editing help and support.

“Gai-sensei!!”

A bright voice cuts through the quiet of the morning, and such greetings, though they often lift his spirits, often mean impending disaster for Madara. He braces for the whirlwind that is his partner’s student, bearing a basket and a bright, toothy grin.

Rock Lee bursts fully into their living room, a torrent of vibrant green and joyous exuberance, and it’s clear that if he cannot announce his surprise soon, he may just explode with it.

“Gai-sensei! The Kazekage brought us a gift of most youthful tidings!”

Madara merely looks up from his morning reading. This sort of unplanned visit is nothing new, and some might even consider it intrusive, but the faint urge to smile plays at the edge of his lips. The boy’s energy is as refreshing as Gai’s, and their bond existed even before Madara came to live here. Perhaps one day Lee-kun may walk in on something he does not wish to see, but that day is not today.

If anything, such an event may bring up the topic of more privacy.

Heavy, confident footfalls and sun-bright chakra herald Gai’s arrival before the booming of his voice, and the heat of his hand clamps down across Madara’s shoulder. Once something so foreign, even the small touch is proof of Gai’s endless and open expression of affection, which extends to everyone he values, and Madara has come to expect it more and more.

“A gift, you say? Such generous proof of the brotherhood between youthful allies! What do you have, Lee?” Gai asks, gesturing to the basket.

“Shinigami chilies from Suna! And I was thinking...we might make a brand new _curry _with them!” Lee vibrates with excitement as he reveals the contents with a flourish.

Madara winces. He’s all too familiar with the tiny crimson and orange peppers. Hashirama was a fan of them, and by the Sage, there was suffering. Tobirama nearly died once. Or so Madara had hoped.

“Gai-sensei, imagine - what an amazing opportunity for competition! We might train our tastebuds with a curry of eternal sunshine!” Lee continues, raising a fist in the air. His mind races with the endless possibilities.  
  
Several hours later, Madara finds himself seated at their broad dining table, staring down a bubbling pot of sinister-looking glop which fumes with the promise of a lethal explosion. His first instinct is to bow out if only for one simple fact:

Gai’s damned rival has been invited to participate in this “competition”.

It’s not that Madara is jealous of Hatake Kakashi. After much observation, the two have a peculiar sort of relationship that has nothing to do with romance and everything to do with the kind of affirmation that only they can give one another. In this particular case it’s more that Madara won’t allow himself to sit idly by and be one-upped when every other male in the house is participating in this horrid contest, even though he is certain that this curry from hell will melt his entire digestive system.  
  
As referee, Tenten has also been called upon to join them. She merely shakes away a woebegone look, doling out the massive servings, one by one. “Alright guys. Rules are simple: First to finish, wins.”

“Well said, Tenten.” Gai flashes her a sparkling grin, then turns to the group. “My friends! Are you ready to light the fires of youth in your hearts and bellies?” 

“Yes, Gai-sensei!” Lee exclaims, spoon in hand.

Kakashi makes a move to close his book and give a sigh, while Madara takes a steely breath. He has resolved to do one thing - he is going to win this competition today, regardless of the consequences.

Tenten raises a hand, then drops it in signal. “And---GO!”

The fact that the curry is hot in temperature initially masks the heat it carries intrinsically. Kakashi fakes a bite, then drops his spoon.

“Maa-- I’m done! I lose.” His eyes crinkle close in a good natured grin, while his book opens right in front of his face. It doesn’t matter to Gai and Lee, who remain focused entirely on the task at hand.

“Hatake Kakashi, disqualified,” Tenten announces, rolling her eyes. 

Madara continues to gulp down the vile, nearly volcanic liquid, reciting mantras in his mind as his eyes water. To say every inch of his mouth and throat burn would be a vast understatement, but the faster he can get it down, the less it can affect him, and the closer he will be to victory. He considers absently that this very formulation should be served by T&I to their prisoners on the regular, and they would talk in no time. 

Focused, he can no longer think about the others in the room. Then the bottom of his bowl becomes visible, and in three more spoonfuls his curry is gone. He pushes it away, slapping the table triumphantly. Forget that his stomach roils and his mouth and throat feel like they’ve been scoured with acid then set alight like a torch dipped in kerosene.

Tenten lifts a napkin and waves it. “Stop! We have a victor - Madara-sama has won the competition!”

Lee drops his spoon and looks at him in wonder. “Madara-sama...you are a most youthful competitor! How did you finish so fast? You must teach us!”

Wiping sweat from his brow, his filter is absolutely gone. The response that comes tumbling out is one he probably should have thought about. “I have a lot of experience with swallowing fiery things.”

Gai laughs, Kakashi snorts, and Lee frowns.

“Oh, you must mean katon jutsu!” he decides, and Tenten nearly facepalms.

“Why don’t you help me clean up, eh, Lee?” she asks. It’s not quite a request.

When Gai’s students disappear into the kitchen, Madara’s throat feels like it’s about to close in on itself, even as his partner is still happily _enjoying _the toxic sludge in front of him. 

Kakashi leans toward Madara, voice a smug whisper. “You _really _need some milk right now, don’t you?”

“Shut up, Hatake.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a kudos or a comment if you can, I would love to hear from you <3
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [awintersrose.tumblr.com](http://awintersrose.tumblr.com)  
Pillowfort: [www.pillowfort.io/awintersrose](http://www.pillowfort.io/awintersrose)  
Twitter: [www.twitter.com/awintersrosered](https://twitter.com/awintersrosered)


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